Animal Kingdom aids Screenworks

DAVID MICHÔD, director and writer of the recently-released Australian film Animal Kingdom, was at a charity screening of the film at Dendy Byron Bay Cinemas yesterday.

Set in Melbourne's underworld and starring Guy Pearce, Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton and Jacki Weaver, the film has been described as a psychological crime-drama which explores the criminal lives of a family, the police and of ordinary people who become caught up in the action.

“This film first came to our attention when it won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance film festival in January this year,” Screenworks general manager Jill Moonie said.

“We have been astounded by the number of positive reviews it has received.

“It is really exciting to see an Australian film that appeals to such a broad and discerning audience.”

After the screening, held to raise funds for Northern Rivers film and television organisation Screenworks, Mr Michôd took questions from the floor and spoke about what had inspired him to make the film.

Animal Kingdom is Mr Michôd's first feature film and has gained the attention of the international film industry.

The film magazine Variety included Mr Michôd on this year's list of the top 10 directors to watch.

Established in 2000, the aim of Screenworks is to ‘foster, drive and promote the development of an innovative, sustainable and vibrant' screen industry culture on the Northern Rivers.

Screenworks runs clinics, workshops on everything from screenwriting to digital editing, and keeps an online directory of people working in the local film industry on its website.

It runs the annual Life's a Pitch competition, in which hopeful filmmakers compete in a pitching competition to get the chance to pitch their film idea to a panel of film and television executives in Sydney.